Sammy’s popular heavy metal
fighting series has returned to the PS2 with the newest installment, Guilty Gear
X2. Featuring stylish rock and roll characters, elaborate special moves and some
cool new modes, GGX2 should satisfy fans of the genre. The improved graphics,
new moves, and additional characters will please those familiar with the series.
We examine GGX2 and find out how these improvements make GGX2 a deeper, more
satisfying experience that fans of 2D fighters shouldn’t miss.

While it is difficult to find
innovation in the 2D fighting genre these days, implementing seemingly minor
twists and tweaks in a familiar formula can make sequels quite interesting.
Guilty Gear X2 takes everything that made the original game so much fun and adds
a bevy of new play modes and characters. While the basics haven’t been changed
dramatically, GGX2 has some really cool modes that set it apart from the pack.
In addition to the standard arcade, versus and training modes, GGX2 includes
some interesting gameplay variations that offer a lot of depth. In the Survival
mode, the object is to beat as many opponents as you can on a single life bar,
which can be quite challenging. Story mode allows you to go through a plot with
your character, with the plot unfolding in cut-scenes between the bouts. Players
can also view artwork and short anime cinemas in the Gallery mode. While only a
few of these are available initially, more can be unlocked as you play the game.

These
modes are solid and give the game a lot of depth, but the crowning achievement
of GGX2 is the Mission mode, which is a lot like the one in Soul Calibur. In
this mode, each mission has a set of requirements that need to be completed
before that mission is won. Before each mission, you can select the mission from
a menu that lists the set of parameters that need to be completed. Each mission
is slightly different, and some objectives include being the last one standing
when time runs out, surviving for a set length of time, or simply defeating an
enemy. Some missions require you to fight without Psych Burst enabled, or may
force you to fight with limited attacks. Other missions give you with reduced
health that gradually declines due to poison. The enemy characters may also have
enhanced attacks with double or triple damage and can have healing abilities,
such as fast regeneration, enhanced Burst levels, or more powerful attacks. The
parameters are indicated before each round, and since you can skip around, more
challenging missions can be held until you’re confident in your skills.
Mission Mode is the most challenging and difficult part of the game but also the
most satisfying because it requires a great deal of skill. This is especially
true later on as the mission requirements become increasingly difficult to
achieve.

Players will find 20 playable
characters in the game, with 14 returning and 6 new characters to choose from.
As usual, there’s an even mix of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ characters, and the
game has a good balance between the abilities of each. Players will find that
GGX2’s feel and fighting mechanics are quite similar this time out with
consistent controls and combo systems. GGX2’s trademark elaborate special
moves such as the chain combos are very much present in the new installment.
However, the standard moves are joined by a variety of new techniques including
the Psych Burst system that give the game a new level of depth. Before you can
begin to master these advanced techniques, you’ll need to master the basic
moves such as jumps, throws, sweeps, and more. GGX2’s fighting system also
features Dust moves, which knock an opponent of their feet and the related Sweep
move. Sweeps are similar to the Dust moves except that they are performed while
crouching which gives you extra cover.

GGX2
features some elaborate moves called One Point Techniques, which include Jump
and Roman Cancels, Counter Hits, Recovery Direction and Staggering moves. The
counter system that lets you to block an opponent and damage them when they’re
vulnerable Jump and Roman cancels allows you to stop a move in its track and
keep an enemy off-guard. If your character is hit, you can get up faster and
take less damage after being hit using the Recovery move but the interesting
thing here is that GGX2’s Recovery direction allows you to control the
direction in which you stand up. Staggering moves allow you to dizzy an opponent
and give yourself a free attack. The most interesting of the one-point moves is
the Faultless Defense technique. This creates a special aura around the
character who cannot be damaged by normal attacks until the Tension Gauge
returns to zero, though puts you at a disadvantage because it usually means that
you won’t be able to perform a one-hit kill in that round.

Simple combos, called Gatling
Chains can be performed by chaining simple moves together, and these can be
quite effective in standard combat, but there’s more to the game than these
moves. One very important aspect of GGX2 you’ll need to understand is the
Burst and Tension gauge and how they affect play. The Bust allows you to perform
Psych Burst moves, which can devastate an enemy, while the Tension Gauge allows
you to perform an awesome one-hit kill on an opponent accompanied by an over the
top animation. However, players are penalized if they try to turtle to avoid
combat. Taking to long in these passive positions will cause the Tension Gauge
to drop, all the way back to empty in some cases. You have to wait until either
of these are filled up to use these moves, but they can be quite powerful. The
new moves add depth to the game, yet integrate themselves seamlessly into the
existing fighting system without throwing off the balance. This allows the
strategic elements of each battle to come to the fore, making GGX2 a lot more
challenging this time out. The fighting system is quite elaborate and there are
numerous subtleties and nuances to master, though the learning curve isn’t
that terribly steep.

Even though the fighting system
is elaborate, GGX2 is surprisingly easy to get into. It uses a 4-button layout
that means the standard PS2 controller offers excellent performance. Obviously,
using an arcade stick offers superior performance and having one will maximize
the fun you have, but isn’t essential. The controls in GGX2 are tight and
responsive, with the fast-moving, fluid action making for a solid fighting game
experience. While performing some of the more complex special moves can be
difficult to achieve, you can call up a moves list during the match. Additional
help is available by playing GGX2’s extensive Training mode that allows you to
learn the standard and special moves. The training mode allows you to adjust the
settings such as Gauge levels, blocking meters and more, which allows you to
master some of the more elaborate moves.

Guilty
Gear X2 is more than a little inspired by Heavy Metal bands of the 80’s and
the characters have names of some of the classic bands. The soundtrack
compliments the feel with a blaring mixture of loud guitars and heavy metal
thunder that adds to the intensity of the experience. Visually, GGX2 is one of
the more impressive 2D fighters to date with fluid animation that offers
non-stop action at an incredibly fast speed, with decent-looking backgrounds
that are colorful and vibrant. The anime rock and roll look is consistent
throughout with character designs that have a definite 80’s hair band vibe
evident. GGX2 also features wild, over-the-top special animations used when you
perform a special move. The sequel’s graphics seem about even with the first
game, which is disappointing on one level. Aesthetically, GGX2 is one of the
better-looking traditional fighters to come along in quite some time, and using
a hard-rock motif instead of the usual anime clichés gives GGX2 a unique style.

While Guilty Gear X2 won’t win any awards for originality or innovation, it’s
a solidly entertaining and challenging title with fluid controls and blindingly
fast action. Die-Hard fans of the series will love the small tweaks and
enhancements that add depth and strategy to the pre-existing game mechanics.
These changes might seem like incremental improvements, but they are welcome
additions to the series. However, GGX2’s surprisingly addictive Mission mode
is a significant improvement that adds depth to an already appealing franchise.
The visuals are excellent and while the heavy metal feel seems odd, the
production values compensate for this. Guilty Gear X2 is highly recommended and
will most likely appeal most to the hardcore fighting fan looking for an
highly-polished, well-balanced fighter but casual fans will probably enjoy
eye-candy and fantastic animation as well.